bystanders

plural of bystander
as in spectators
someone who sees or watches something bystanders rushed to help the victim of the mugging

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bystanders Prosecutors said bystanders subdued Arredondo-Garcia until authorities arrived. Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 21 Aug. 2026 The beetles emerge in the summer to feed, mate and crash inadvertently into unsuspecting bystanders. Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026 Because bystanders have no financial stake in the outcome, their read on signal colors, vehicle speeds, and lane use can be especially useful. Matthew Kayser, Kansas City Star, 20 Aug. 2026 Medics and crews with the New Haven Fire Department were assisted by bystanders in pulling the man from the water, according to Bruckhart. Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 20 Aug. 2026 But no injuries to protesters, bystanders or law enforcement resulted. Paula Wethington, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026 The American Academy of Pediatrics recognized this shift in a landmark 2016 policy statement calling for pediatricians to actively engage fathers as caregivers, not bystanders. Nishant Pandya, STAT, 17 Aug. 2026 In those exceptions, officers had weigh risks to the safety of other motorists or bystanders. Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2026 Request the names and numbers of any bystanders who saw the incident or noticed the wet floor prior to your fall. Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bystanders
Noun
  • The case has become a national cultural fixation and a social media spectacle, gripping and dividing spectators well beyond the Massachusetts courtroom where the 36-year-old mother is charged with killing her three young children.
    Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
  • That includes having security personal who can deal with problem spectators, as needed, until police arrive.
    Cathy Kozlowicz, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Sullivan spoke with attorneys at sidebar about the request, but the discussion was inaudible to observers in the courtroom at Plymouth Superior Court.
    Melina Khan, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • But unofficial estimates by outside observers place the price tag of renovating the temple at more than $2 billion.
    Brandon Griggs, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The algorithm matches products to the viewers most likely to want them.
    Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Goodell was as good as his word, and the practice of double-tapping viewers with post-TD marketing messages is now about as defunct as the barefooted placekicker of yore.
    Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 28 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Bystanders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bystanders. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

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